This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 5th June”.
1967: Six-Day War begins
Also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War, or Third Arab–Israeli War was fought between Israel and Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. Israel responded to a build-up of Arab forces along its borders by launching a preemptive aerial attack against Egypt. Jordan subsequently entered the fray, but the Arab coalition was no match for Israel’s armed forces. In six days of fighting, Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and Golan Heights. The status of these territories would go on to become a major point of contention in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
1968: Palestinian Sirhan shots Robert F. Kennedy
Shortly after midnight, 24-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan shot Senator Robert Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. This happened immediately after he had announced to his cheering supporters that the country was ready to end its fractious divisions. He was pronounced dead a day later, on June 6, 1968. Sirhan confessed to the crime at his trial and received a death sentence on March 3, 1969.
1972: World Environment Day
The United Nations Assembly established World Environment Day in 1972, which was the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the human environment. The day aims to inform people that humans should not take nature for granted and must respect it for its values. This year, the theme of World Environment Day is “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.” The global host for the day in 2021 to highlight the importance of ecosystem restoration is Pakistan.
1981: First scientific report on AIDS
In 1915, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had published an article in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describing 5 cases of a rare lung infection, PCP. The Center had diagnosed it in young, otherwise healthy gay men in Los Angeles. Unknown at the time, the article had been describing the effects of AIDS. It was the first scientific report on AIDS. Within a few years, the AIDS epidemic became the major public health crisis of the late 20th century, although many continued to believe it only affected gay men.
1995: Australian singer Troye Sivan is born
Openly queer Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan turns 23 today. His discography includes some of the top pop songs today like Bloom, Strawberries and Cigarettes, Youth and You. The New York Times has described him as a new kind of pop star who has been climbing the charts while demonstrating how his sexual orientation is both parts of his art and beside the point. In 2014, Time named Sivan as one of the ’25 Most Influential Teens of 2014′. In 2018, he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song for Revelation, from the film Boy Erased. He also had a supporting acting role in the film.
